Key Information
- Address
- Great Western Hospital, Marlborough Road, Swindon SN3 6BB
- Switchboard
- 01793 604020
- Outpatient booking
- 01793 604080, 8am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday
- Website
- gwh.nhs.uk
- Maps and directions
- Maps and directions
- Travel info
- Travelling to Great Western Hospital
- Contact
- GWH contact page
Getting there
By car
The hospital is on Marlborough Road (A345). Use postcode SN3 6BB for sat-nav. Visitor car parks use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR). The Trust asks visitors to use the hospital car parks rather than neighbouring roads. Current charges, payment methods and Blue Badge rules are in the parking section below, taken from GWH's parking page on 28th October 2026.
By bus
Swindon's Bus Company runs services to the hospital. There are also buses from outside Swindon. Check the operator for times and routes, and see the Trust's travelling to hospital page.
By train
Swindon railway station is in the town centre, about 3.7 miles (6 km) from the hospital. From the station, it is a short walk to Swindon Bus Station, where buses run to and from the hospital.
By cycle
The hospital is on Swindon's cycle network. You can plan a route using the Swindon Bike Map.
Emergency Department and Urgent Treatment Centre
The Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day. Walk-in patients, meaning those who do not arrive by ambulance, must enter through the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) entrance. Staff then signpost people to the right place. The Emergency Department is accessed through the UTC.
For life-threatening emergencies, call 999. For urgent medical advice that is not an emergency, call NHS 111. The Trust also points people to pharmacies, GPs and minor injury units in Chippenham and Cirencester on its local healthcare services page. See our help and support in Swindon guide for more useful contacts.
Visiting hours
The Trust offers open visiting on most wards from 8am to 8pm, with a maximum of two visitors at a bedside at any one time. Visiting outside those hours may be possible if you speak to the ward. Patients can usually be accompanied to most appointments where that is appropriate.
| Area | Visiting notes |
|---|---|
| Most wards | 8am to 8pm, up to 2 visitors |
| Acute Cardiac Unit | No visitors 1pm to 3pm (rest period) |
| Emergency Department and UTC | Speak to staff; listed as an exception |
| Critical Care | Speak to staff |
| Maternity | Restricted; check with the ward |
| Surgery, day case and day therapy | Companions in some situations; speak to staff |
Do not visit if you are unwell. The Trust asks visitors to be free of symptoms such as sickness and diarrhoea for at least two days, and to use the hand hygiene gel on entering and leaving a ward. For the latest rules, see GWH's visitor guidance.
Parking, maps and travel
ANPR car parks, current charges and how to get there by bus, train or bike.
GWH – Maps and directionsReferences & sources
- Great Western Hospital – Official site (accessed 28 October 2026)
- GWH – Maps and directions (accessed 28 October 2026)
- GWH – Parking (accessed 28 October 2026)
- GWH – Visitor guidance (accessed 28 October 2026)
- GWH – Coming to hospital (accessed 28 October 2026)
- GWH – Contact (accessed 28 October 2026)
Parking
North and West visitor car parks use ANPR. You can pay at a machine with cash or card, or pay on exit with contactless. The Brunel Treatment Centre (BTC) car park is pay and display, and the machine accepts coins only. Pay before you leave that car park. Swindon Intermediate Care Centre (SwICC) has disabled spaces outside; other visitors should use a visitor car park.
These daytime and evening tariffs were on the Trust parking page on 28th October 2026. Always check gwh.nhs.uk – Parking before you travel, because charges can change.
| Stay (daytime, 6am to 6pm) | Charge |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 hour | £1.70 |
| 1 to 2 hours | £3.40 |
| 2 to 3 hours | £5.10 |
| 3 to 4 hours | £6.70 |
| 4 to 6 hours | £8.50 |
| 6 to 8 hours | £11.60 |
| 8 to 24 hours | £15.00 |
| Stay (evening, 6.01pm to 5.59am) | Charge |
|---|---|
| Up to an hour | £1.70 |
| 2 to 24 hours | £3.40 |
| Concessionary tariff, all times | £1.70 |
Concessionary passes can be issued for frequent treatment, delayed stays, or visits when a patient's condition is very serious. Free barrier passes may be issued in some emergency or long-term outpatient cases. Ask staff on the ward or in the department you are visiting. Lost or damaged tickets are charged at the higher daytime rate set out on the Trust parking page.
Blue Badge holders park in the disabled bays close to building entrances, or in parent and child spaces. Display a valid Blue Badge and clock showing the time of arrival. There is no charge in those areas, but you still need to validate at a pay-on-foot machine: enter the registration, then scan the barcode on the back of the badge so the fee is waived. You can also scan the badge barcode at the exit barrier. There is a three-hour maximum stay. If an appointment will last longer, give your registration to staff in the department or ward so they can arrange this with the car parking team. Parking Charge Notice appeals go through the contractor at appeals.sabaparking.co.uk.
On-site amenities
The Trust's coming-to-hospital page lists food, drink and shop options. Opening hours for Café Blue, Costa Coffee and the atrium shop were not published there on 28th October 2026, so those times are not repeated here.
- Main restaurant: next to the atrium at the main entrance, listed as open 7am to 7.30pm every day, with hot and cold food and vending machines.
- Café Blue: ground floor of the Brunel Treatment Centre, next to the main entrance.
- Costa Coffee: in the main atrium.
- Shop: a small shop in the main atrium selling newspapers, magazines and confectionery.
- Boots pharmacy: west car park. Outpatient prescriptions only. Monday to Friday 9am to 7.30pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm, Sunday 9am to 1pm, bank holidays closed. Telephone 01793 790994. It cannot dispense green FP10 prescriptions from a GP or consultant, and cannot sell over-the-counter medicines to inpatients or to people buying them on an inpatient's behalf.
Free NHS Wi-Fi is available on site. Connect to the "NHS Wi-Fi" network. See Coming to hospital and the pharmacy page for the current lists.
Need extra help?
If you have a disability, sensory loss, impairment, or if English is not your first language, GWH can help you access information about their services. See Help accessing our services. British Sign Language interpreting is available through the Trust's Convo partnership. Contact PALS if you need further support.
Non-Emergency Patient Transport
The Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS) is for patients who need to travel to hospital or clinic appointments, are being discharged, or need to transfer between centres and, because of their medical condition, cannot make their own way. Eligibility criteria apply. The service for this Trust is run by E-zec Medical Transport Services. If you are asked to book your own transport, the Trust lists 01278 727401. See GWH – NEPTS.
PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)
PALS is on the ground floor and can help with feedback, concerns, complaints, queries about care, and interpreting. Telephone 01793 604031 or email gwh.pals@nhs.net. See GWH – PALS.
Brighter Futures – GWH Charity
Brighter Futures is the hospital's charity, funding equipment, research, and improvements beyond what the NHS provides.
Information correct as of 28th October 2026. Parking charges, visiting rules, opening hours and services can change. Always check gwh.nhs.uk for the latest details.